Jelly Making Equipment forJelly Recipes
Find easy homemade jelly recipes andinstructions on how to make jelly for apples, grapes, blackberries,mint, raspberries and rose hips, to name just a few.
HOW TO MAKE JELLY AND THE BASIC PROCEDURE
This is the standardprocedure for making jellies. And can be used with mostfruits as youwill see from the jelly recipes below.
1. Prepare the fruitby washing and discarding any fruit thathas spoiled. Do not peel, core or stone the fruit. Cut up larger fruit.
2. Cook thefruit slowly with enough water to almost cover it.Fruit should never float in the pan. Simmer for at least 45 minutes andshould be very soft. Extra water can be added, if necessary to preventburning.
3. Put the pulpinto the scalded jelly bag and strain thejuices into a bowl.
4. The average rule of thumb, when not taking into account ofany modifications, eachquantity of fruit should yield 4 cups of juice,to which you would add 3 1/2 cups of sugar. However, one needs to testfor pectin content and work out the amount of sugar needed as describedabove to make sure your jelly sets. If there is more than 4 cups ofjuice, reduce it by boiling.
5. Bring the juice to the boil, remove from the heat and addthe sugar. Stir until dissolved. Boil again until thesetting point isreached. Use the plate setting test, as for jam making above.
6. Before putting into the hot, sterilized jars, skim off anysurface scum. Work quickly and remove any excess scum witha dampenedpaper towel.
7. Pour thejelly into the jars slowly and steadily to preventbubbles from forming. Cover with lids tightly making sure the jars arewell-sealed.
Now that you know how to make jelly we have given you a number of ourbest jelly recipes to try out.
APPLE JELLY RECIPE
1.25 kg of red apples
1 teaspoon citric or tartaric acid
Follow the Basic Procedure to make the above jelly.
BLACKBERRY JELLY RECIPE
1.25 kg of blackberries
Follow the Basic Procedure to make the above jelly.
BOYSENBERRY JELLY RECIPE
1.25 kg of boysenberries
Follow the Basic Procedure to make the above jelly.
CRABAPPLE JELLY RECIPE
10 cups crabapples, cored and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
6 cinnamon sticks
36 whole cloves
Place chopped apples in a kettle of water, vinegar and cinammon sticks and cloves tied in a little bag.
Mix and cook gently until soft, and remove the spice bag.
Separatethe juice from the fruit by pouring through a jelly bag. Hang over apot and let the juice drip out overnight, or for several hours. Don'trush or force the process. Let it drip out in its own time. If yousqueeze the bag in any way by being impatient the juice will becomecloudy and won't give you a clear jelly.
The next day measure the juice and for each cup of crabapple juice add 3/4 cup sugar.
Cook to the jelling point, stirring often.
Pour into hot sterlized jars and seal.
ELDERBERRY JELLY RECIPE
3 pounds elderberries
1 lemon
1 packaged powdered pectin
4 1/2 cup sugar
Clean and sort the elderberries.
Heatover a low heat, adding just enough water to keep the fruit fromburning, until the juices begin to flow. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
Pour through a jelly bag and let it drain overnight. Remember for a clear jelly you are not to force the liquid out of the bag.
In the morning measure out 3 cups of the juice. Add the lemon juice and the pectin. Bring to the boil.
Add 4 1/2 cups sugar and boil for 1 minute only, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.
GRAPE JELLY RECIPE
1.25 kg of grapes
Follow the Basic Procedure to make the above jelly.
MINT JELLY RECIPE
1.5 kg green cooking apples (eg: Granny Smith)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 stalks of fresh mint
green food coloring
equal quantities of brown and white sugar
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
1. Wash and cut up the apples and place them in a large pot.Add vinegar and 3 stalks of fresh mint. Add enough water to almostcover the fruit and simmer for 45 minutes until fruit is a soft pulp.
2. Strain the pulp through the scalded muslin bag.
3. Measure the juice and weigh 400 g sugar for each 500 ml ofjuice. Bring the juice to the boil, remove from the heat and stir inthe sugar to dissolve.
4. Boil the juice and sugar together. When setting point isreached, skim the jelly and add the chopped mint with a few drops ofthe green food coloring.
5. Pour carefully into jars and make sure that the bottles aretightly sealed.
POMEGRANATE JELLY
4 cups pomegranate juice
7 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bottle liquid pectin
Eitherjuice your pomegranates or buy pomegranate juice. I prefer to buy myjuice in because of the mess you get with juicing your own. It reallyisn't worth the trouble and effort. However, if you are hell-bent onjuicing your own you can do so using an electric orange juicer tosqueeze the individual halves.
Mix the pomegranate juice withthe sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil andimmediately add the liquid pectin. Boil rapidly for 30 seconds,stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, skim and pour quickly into eleven 8-ounce sterilized jars and seal.
RASPBERRY JELLY
1.25 kg of raspberries
Follow the Basic Procedure to make the above jelly.
ROSE HIP JELLY
1.5 kg rose hips
lemon juice
sugar
Place rose hips in a large pan with just enough water tocover. Simmer until hips are soft.
Mash with a wooden spoon and place in a muslin bag to drip.This jelly can be left to drip over night.
For every 600 ml of juice add the juice of one lemon and 400 gof sugar. Stir to dissolve and then boil to setting point following therest of the Basic Procedure as above.
HOW TO MAKE JELLY ANDGENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PERFECT JELLYMAKING
For your jelly recipes you will need very few special tools andequipment.
When making jellies you will, however,have tofirst make or buy a jelly bag. These should be made only of muslin orcotton sheeting and should be about 50cm x 35cm, sewn on three sides,and left open on a short side. Before adding the fruit the bag shouldbe washed and just before use, scalded by pouring boiling water throughit.
The bag should be held high above thebowl to catch the juice. This can be achieved by placing 2 chairs backto back, placing a broom handle across the back, with the jelly bagtied in the middle of the broomstick, with the bowl beneath.
The juice takes about an hour to drainthrough the bag. If you leave the juice more than a couple of hours thequality of the juice will spoil.
Never hasten the process by trying tosqueeze or disturb the bag during the dripping process. If you do, yourjelly will be cloudy.
With your jelly recipes when you have aquantity of juice, youcan test the pectin quality by using the methylated spirits test, asmentioned for jam making, above.
If the clot that was formed was good,add 275 g sugar for each cup of juice.
If the clot that was formed wasaverage, add 175 g sugar for each cup of juice.
If the clot that was formed was poor,add 140 g sugar for each cup of juice.
ExtraResources on Making Jellies:
USDAHome Canning of Jams and Jellies
